Apparatus and method of charging a retort



Dec. 23, 1930. J. VAN- ACKEREN 1,785,751

APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CHARGING A RETOR'I' Filed Sept, 25, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Demo 23, 1930. J. VAN ACKEREN 1,785,751

APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CHARGING A RETORT Filed Sept. 25, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR- ATTORNEY I 10 means for efiiciently transferrin panama 23, 1930,

, UNITED-- STATES- PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH v scxnm, or rmsniiaemrmsrnvnnra, 'sssrenon ro THE KOPPEBS coummr, or rrrrsnuaen, rmmsuvmm, a oo'nronarron or rnnnsrnvsnm APPARATUS AND METHOD CHARGING A BETOBT Application fled September 25, 1928. Serial in. 187,706.

This. invention com rehends improvements, of-general utility in the coking retort and kindred arts, and in" its more specific aspects. relates to improvements in retorts of the vertical type and more particularly to those of the continuous vertical type as examplified, for instance, in m application-Serial No. 684,342, filed anuary 4, 1924, and has" for an object the provision of the material to be coked from a source 0 supply to the coking chambers of a battery of retorts.

This application is a continuation in art of my application Serial No. 40,068, ed

16 June 27, 1925.

Where a continuous vertical'retortbattery comprises retorts and heating wall units separated by wall structure of considerable thickness the problem ofproviding chargso ing apparatus therefor with adequate supports is simplified since the su porting cplumns can be located within said'separa'tin walls, but where, as herein contemplate such walls are dispensed with and along :6 battery of continuous vertical retorts comprising ovens and heatin walls juxtaposed.

in alternation is employe the difiiculties of charging are materially increased. An outer framework can not be used for their support to because notonly is the top of such a battery very high but the bins would have to be elevated considerably above the top to provide the head room essential for operating a batteryof this type, and this would necessitate the-use ofdiagonal wind bracing between the sides of the supporting framework but the arrangement of ovens and heating walls indi-.

cated glrecludes the useof bracing of this tvpe. oreov'er, the fire hazards incident to several retorts, said chargin .in turn preferably elevateda ove t e norma 7 the location ofstorage bins above such retorts to become retarded or stopped altogether and inspection to determine if the flow of fuel is uniform is impossible by this method.

My invention involves, broadly, the idea of practical means for overcoming all of these obstacles whereby a vertical retort battery and more particularly one of the continuous type, without regard to its length or height, may be efliciently equipped with chargin apparatus. In the more specific aspects 0 my invention, I provide a chargin lar car and a trackway therefor, the trac wa heing preferably su ported on a framewor independent of at e brickwork and preferably above stationary charging holppers for the op ers bein level of the brickwork. The larry car is pref-- erably provided with a hopper adapted to receive=the coal from the storage bin and discharge the-same into the respective feed hoppers, the larry car. hop er preferably extendmg below the body 0 the car and between and to a oint below the tracks so that when I it is in alignment with a stationary feed hopper a clear view of their relationship is afforded, The larr car is also preferably provided with weig ing mechanism of known construction. Inspection may be further faciliated by the provision of an operators latform on the larry car likewise extending low the car body and between and below the rails in proximity to'the larry car hop r. To further facilitate inspection of the discharging operations the lower end ofthe larrycar hopper is offset and in order to prevent spillage of the fuel is provided with a pipe which may be, dropped to span the space between said larry car and said stationary feed ho ciently low to permit, when removed, the 1 closing of the feed opening without obstruction by the material in said opening anda' valve is also preferably provided between the hopper body proper and said pipe to control the flow of material to the latter.

As a further specific aspect of my invention, a storage bin or a plurality of storage bins, preferably supported independently of the battery brickwork, and preferably separated fromthe battery structure proper are employed. This removes the bin orbins from fire hazards and enables their supporting structure to be adequately braced against wind pressure and other disturbing forces which is desirable because of the great height to which they mustbe built.

By my invention I have solved the problem of continuously feeding a retort or retorts with different fuels ofv the exact proportions desired, for the larry car is adapted to be charged successively from the respective bins and, through the instrumentality of the ,weighing mechanism thereon, to deliver weighed quantities of each charge to the respective stationary hoppers, the several charges being superimposed therein, these hoppers while charged intermittently serving asreservoirs to deliver continuously to the retort chamber a mixture of the desired proportions. Since all operations are open to observation theycan be closely inspected and any error incident thereto corrected.

f In addition to the general features and objects of the invention above recited, the invention has suchother improvements or advantages in construction and operation as are. found to obtain in the structure and devices hereinafter described or claimed.

In the accompan' ing drawings, forming a part of this speci cation, and showing for purposes of exemplification, a preferred form and manner in which the invention may be embodied and practiced, but without limiting the claimed invention specifically to such illustrative instance or instances:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, showing a portion of a continuous vertical retort battery and storage bins and supporting structure therefor, the two structures being connected by a trackway on which a larry car is adapted to travel carrying with it a fuel conveying hopper, v Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the battery showing the relationship between the coking chambers, stationary feed hoppers, -larry car charging device, and rails and supporting structures for the same, and

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the lower.

end of the larry car hopper showing a pipe adapted to be lowered to bridge the space between said hopper and the stationary charg ing hopper.

The same characters of reference indicate meager the same parts in each of the several views of the drawings.

Referringto Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a supporting structure or tower 1 having near its top storage bins 2 which are adapted to be filled with fuels of d' erent character, respectively, by suitable t ansfer means from a main source of supply, such, for example, as a barge or freight car. The top portion'of a vertical retort is shown at 3 having coking chambers f separated by heating walls 5, said chambers being provided at their tops with stationary charging hoppers 6 rising above the top of the brickwork and adapted to be substantially filled with the fuel and to deliver thesame continuously to the coking chambers. A supporting frame larry car 15, provided with a fuel conveying hopper 16 having at its lower extremity an offset discharge valve mechanism 17 and provided with weighing mechanism 4 .of

known construction, is adapted to travel on the trackway. The discharge end of the larry car hopper extends below the body of the larry car proper and through the space between the rails so that when the lower offset end of the hopper is in vertical alignment with a stationary hopper the discharge outlet of the former will be over the charging ojgiening of the latter. Said larr car is also provided with an operators plat orm 25 likewise extending through said space between the rails in proximity to the lower end of the larry car hopper. The valve mechanism comprises a pipe 18 with its upper side portion cut away at 19 as shown in Fig. 3, said pipe being adapted to slide in the guide portion 20 of the car hopper and to be substantially balanced in raised or lowered position by the lever 21, counterweighted at 22, A

fuel valve.23 operated by lever mechanism 24 controls-the flow of fuel from the car hop per. When the valve 23 is opened and the pipe 18 lowered the cut away portion 19 of the latter permits flow of the fuel from the the pipe bridges the space between said hopers and thereby prevents spillage of the uel.

In the operation of the device, when it is desired to charge the stationary'hoppers, the. larry car is run to a position beneath a storage bin and chargedfwith fuel, its capacity being sufficient to enable it to charge a plurality of ovens. The car 15 is then run to a position with the discharge valve 17 vertically above the stationary charging hopper 6 which it is desired to charge. The anticar hopper 16 to the charging hopper 6 while iao wearer spillage pipe 18 is then dropped into osition to bridge the space between the car opper extension and the feed opening in the stationary hopper, extending downwardly into the latter, the pipe being maintained in the adjustbd position by the counterwei ht 22. The v lve 23 is then opened and a weig ted quanti y of the material flows from thefuel will stop inasmuch as it passes throu h a passageway entirely closed laterally by t e sides of the ho per and the inter-connectingpipe. When t e charging operation is completed the valve is closed and the ipe lifted. During the charging operations t e material always settles to a point sufiiciently below the top of the feed opening in the statonary hopper to permit the cover to be placed thereon. This results from the fact that in;-the charging position the end of the pipe extends su stantially below the top of the feed opening, leaving a space above, the lower end of the pipe suficient to accommodate the charge remaining in the pipe after the valve is closed. After the charging operation is completed the larry car is free to move on to the next stationary hopper to be charged, and similarly for the remainder of the stationary hoppers. ln'klike manner the several stationary hoppers 'may be charged in succession with weighed quantities of material from other of the bins, as found necessary to obtain the resultant charges desired. a

The invention as hereinabove set forth is embodied in a particular form of construction, but may be variously embodied within the scope of the claims hereinafter made.

Iclaim: I 4

1. In a continuous vertical coking apparatus, the combination with a battery of continuous vertical cokingretorts; covered coalfeeding magazines mounted in the top of.

and individual to the several coking chambersgand adapted to feed coal continuously and gradually into the tops of said cham-.

I .acter mounted above said battery at one end thereofi ofa bhargiiig'llarry-car adapted to receive coals from ach.; of" said bin sdand shiftable from beneath" the same'and into positions above and for connection with said magazines for severally recharging'them and provided was weighing means for weighing the totalquantity' of coal received from said bins by said 'car and for determining by weight the portions of the total quantity delivered by said car to the respective magazines;

2. In a continuous vertical coking appar'atus, the combination with a battery of continuous vertical coking retorts; coveredcoal-feeding magazines mounted in the top of and individual to' the several coking chambers and adapted to feed coal continuously and gradually into the tops of said chambers;and a pluralit of storage bins for coals of respectively di erent physical character mounted above said battery at one end thereof; of a charging larry-car adapted to re ceive coals iromeach of said bins and shiftable from beneath the same and into positions above and for connection with said magazines tor severally recharging them and provided with measuring means for measuring the total quantity ofcoal received from said bins b said car and for measuring the portions 0 the total quantity delivered by said car to the respective magazines.

3. In a continuous vertical coking apparatus, the combination with a battery of continuous vertical coking retorts; covered coalfeeding magazines mounted in the top of and individual to the several coking chambers and adapted to feed coal continuously and gradually into the tops of said chambers; and a storage bin for coal mounted above said battery atone end thereof; of a charging larry-car ada ted to receive coal fromsaid bin and shiiita le from beneath the same and into positions above and for connection with saidmagazines for severally recharging them with a portion of the total quantity of coal in the larry-car and provided with weighing means and controlling means for determining by weight and con trolling the pgrtions of the total quantity in said larry-car delivered thereby tdthe respective magazines.

4. In a-continuous vertical coking apparatus, the combination" with a batter of ered coal-feeding magazines mounted in the top of and individual to the several coking chambers and adapted to feed coal continuousIy and gradually into the tops of said chambers; and a storage bin for coal mounted above said battery at one end thereof; and a charging larry-car adapted to receive coal froin said, bin and shiftable from beneath the same and into positions above and for connection with said ma azines' for severally rechargingiithem; wit a portion. .of

the total uantity'of, coal iii the larry-car' means and controlling means for measuring and. conand provi ed with measuring trolling the portions of the total quantity in said larry-car-delivered thereby the respective magazines. I v

5. The method of charging a battery of continuous vertical coking chambers, respectively provided at their tops with individual reservoirs for continuous feed of coal to the tops of the several coking chambers, with coals of respectively diflerent physical characteristics, from a plurality of storage bins by means of a larry car, which method comprises: periodically recharging a plurality of the reservoirs of the battery of coking chambers one after another with coal during continuance of coking in said chambers;

10 efiecting a succession of said periodic recharging operations with coals of respectively dlfierent physical characteristics successively; and delivering the respective kinds of coal to the several reservoirs, during the 15 period in the said succession of periods in which they are respectively being employed to recharge the reservoirs, by withdrawing a total quantity of the the respective coals sufficient to recharge a plurality of reser- 20 voirs and delivering a portion of the total withdrawn quantity to, and weighing the portion therefrom for, each of the said plurality of reservoirs severally.

in testimony whereof, I have hereunto set g my hand. J

' JOSEPH VAN ACKEREN. 

